The Namesake is a novel about an indian couple moving to America to start a new life along with a new family. The women is named Ashima and the man is Ashoke. Ashoke is an electrical engineer student at MIT while his wife stays home. His wife becomes pregnant as the couple wait for the babies arrival. Then they arrive at the hospital to deliver the baby, but Ashoke waits outside in the hall when his wife wanted and needed him there. He could not handle the preassure showing much about him and how he is as a person. Ashoke through the reading seems to be a kind but confused person as he does not know what choices to make in his life that will set him on the right path. While in the hall, Ashoke begins to think of past event of his life. He begins to think about his grandfather at first, and then about a tragic event in his life. This event takes place on a train ride to meet his grandfather which is where is grandfather lived. On the trip Ashoke spent his time reading a book by an author named Gogol, both the book and the authors name prove to be very important later in the book. On the train ride Ashoke meets a man named Ghosh, they begin to talk to one another and learn more about eachother. Ghosh advises that Ashoke should go out and travel on his own intead of being at home with his many siblings. After the two exchange information, Ghosh falls asleep as Ashoke return to his book, but soon after an accident occurs. The train derails killing many passangers, but Ashoke miraculously lives. When resucuers arrive, Ashoke drops a page of his book which is seen by a rescuer making the page save his life. This life event impacted Ashoke as a charcter and other characters in the story. Going back to the hospital, he decides to name his child Gogol, named after the author of the book who saved his life. Now that we understand the meaning of the childs name the book continues on with the life of a family with a newborn child in America.
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